By Kim Se-jeongThe Ministry of Education is flip-flopping on its controversial policy to ban teaching English to preschoolers as parents strongly oppose the move.The ministry had initially announced a plan to stop teaching English at daycare centers and kindergartens. Facing angry parents who want their children to acquire the most-widely spoken second language in the world, however, education policymakers later backtracked saying nothing has been decided."We will hear from parents and experts first," a high-ranking government official told Dong-A Ilbo, a Korean-language daily newspaper, indicating its earlier decision can be reversed. "We're thinking about discussing this issue at the presidential committee on education."The ministry said it will announce its final approach Tuesday. Only three weeks ago, Dec. 27, the ministry announced its plan to stop English education for children at kindergartens and daycare centers. The reason the ministry gave was it is too early to teach them English and that the ban would be necessary to stay in line with the new law to ban English education for first and second graders ― the new law will enter into force from March.Facing mounting criticism from parents, the ministry later said it would postpone the implementation until the beginning of next year. Parents didn't hide their disappointment at the government's flip-flopping policy approach."I am totally disappointed with the fact that the education policies are swayed by several politicians," one citizen wrote on the popular web portal Naver. "Politicians should stay away from making education policies. Leave them to parents. They would do better. President Moon, you'd better go back to square one and listen to what people think first."Another wrote: "Like the policy with higher education, when the government puts its hands on education, it goes wrong, very wrong. Don't ruin Korean children's education anymore."Other critics were English teachers, both Koreans and non-Koreans hired by kindergartens and daycare centers ― the number of such institutes is approximately 50,000 across the country. The government's decision to ban English education for preschoolers prompted online petitions on the Cheong Wa Dae website with people wanting English courses to continue in kindergartens. At the center of the government's indecisiveness about English education for children is a private English education market in Korea that is growing and powerful.

Parents who are enthusiastic about their children's English proficiency sent them to private institutes when they were as young as three. As private English education became more expensive, though, the government intervened and brought English education into the schools with the hope that students would stop learning English at private academies ― but it didn't turn out that way.Critics of the government's ban argue the government should also consider regulating private education.